She HATES it. She ABSOLUTELY hates her costume.

It’s a busy season for us as Ghostbusters. We volunteer every weekend in October for a bunch of different Halloween themed events – entertaining crowds, posing for photos, handing out stickers, and running ghost activities. It’s family friendly stuff and these events generally raise a bit of money for a cause or non-profit of some sort. Alice has been to every event this season and she has enjoyed all of it EXCEPT when we try to put on her little Stay Puft costume. Then all hell breaks loose.

Tonight is the Halloween Parade. In Portsmouth, the Halloween Parade is a pretty big deal. Thousands and thousands of people come from all over to watch the parade and anyone can be in it. There are some amazing costumes, a group does Thriller every year, we hang out with some very talented stilters, and overall it’s a pretty awesome time. It isn’t uncommon for people to decide halfway through the parade to join in on the fun and start walking along with everyone else, which is totally allowed.

My first Halloween Parade 4 years ago was in the rain. We didn’t march, we just watched (proton packs and rain don’t mix). It’s how I ended up staying in Portsmouth. Wayne and I had just started dating long-distance. I mentioned that I had zero plans for Halloween, which was a shame because I love Halloween. So Wayne, being the ubergeek that he is, created a whole Minecraft game for me to play in which he invited me to come visit him early and go to the Halloween Parade. We had originally planned to spend time together over Thanksgiving. He had already bought me a plane ticket for November. He bought me a second plane ticket so that I could visit in October and I never went home. Portsmouth quickly became where I belonged and now I’ve built my life here. I’ve started an awesome family here.

Having people gather at our house for dinner is becoming a new Ghostbuster tradition and we have a big crowd this year. I’m going to spend my day cooking and finishing cleaning the kitchen to prepare for the 8-12 people that we’re going to have over for a delicious pork roast and apple crisp before the parade. I’m going to find some moment in time to take a shower. And I’m going to try to pop Alice back in the Stay Puft in hopes that she won’t find it torturous anymore. But chances are, she will scream and cry and we’ll just dress her warmly and take her with us anyway. Because she ABSOLUTELY HATES her costume, but she still likes Halloween.